Mama Tanya, a member of volunteer battalions fighting alongside Ukraine’s army said in one of The Guardian’s recent projects that the war in Ukraine isn’t the first one she has participated in, the other being the Nagorno Karabakh war, the news agency reports.

In the 1990s she was living with her husband in Azerbaijan and served as a medic during the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Her experience and committed nationalism has drawn her into the war in eastern Ukraine, where her task is to administer first aid and pull wounded soldiers out of battlefields during special operations.

The volunteer battalions are known for being fearless on the battlefield. They also have a reputation for fierce nationalism and far-right views. One of these units is the assault battalion Aidar, based in the town of Shchastya, whose members have been accused of human rights abuses by Amnesty International. What is less known is that the volunteers include several women among their ranks – some working as medics and support staff but others in active combat roles.